What is the Wesleyan Church?

[@emryswilliams9190]

I'm a part of the Wesleyan church, and I can confirm that this is all true. Great job looking into these different denominations and churches!

[@Me2Lancer]

Thanks again. The more of your posts I watch, the more I realize just how much Christian believers have in common.

[@CenterPorchNP]

To bad we are busy arguing about the differences.

[@raquelnunes9793]

Duh

[@WilliamsPinch]

I am considering a Wesleyan university for grad school and needed a quick overview of Wesleyan values and beliefs. But this was exhaustive, so thank you very much!

[@pixieburton3131]

Pastor Joshua, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for eighteen days of videos in December. I can only imagine the amount of work this takes. You already know how much I enjoy the Ready to Harvest polls and I look forward to more of both, the videos and the polls in 2022. Happy New Year!

[@ReadyToHarvest]

Thanks Pixie!

[@Lovesdisciple]

My great great grandfather was a Wesleyan Methodist Minister. I was not raised religious at all, quite the contrary, but God removed the scales from my eyes and revealed Himself to me last year and I was born again in Christ. I received my great grandfather’s Bible yesterday from my Dad who is not a believer. I came to this video and I am amazed at how much this feels like home. I attend and serve in a reformed church in my town, and I LOVE my church, but have leaned more towards the Arminian beliefs of Wesleyan Methodists, the explanation of salvation mentioned here, and the feelings towards certain charismatic behaviors. My church is not overly charismatic, but believes in the persistence of the saints and from what I can tell lean much more Calvinist. I am fine with worshipping with anyone and any denomination, but it is interesting that my own personal beliefs seem to align more closely with the Wesleyan church. Which I definitely had not come across except in knowing that my great grandfather was a minister and missionary in this path of faith. I am grateful that this has been preserved so that I can understand what my great great grandfather may have understood.

[@michaelgreen4183]

My 2x-great-grand-uncle, Reverend Henry Light, helped build and also pastored the Methodist Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, West Virginia during the late 1800s. When I was just a toddler, my parents attended it as the then Pilgrim Holiness church until they moved away. As I grew up, I would visit with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. It was just natural to go to what was then called the Wesleyan Church with my great-aunt, Edith Light McClung. I loved her and being next to her in church was really comforting. Unfortunately, the membership died out and now it is the Cathedral Cafe, a restaurant and bookstore since the town is a tourist destination for outdoorsmen and women. Being a Reformed Christian, I am far removed from some of their doctrines, but that particular church holds lots of warm memories for me.

[@lilajagears8317]

They sound like my kind of church!

[@willianfilho3669]

Congatrulstion Pr. Joshua, I am from Brazil, a city called Manaus in Amazonas. My family knew Jesus in a Wesleyan Churc. Sorry for Inglish languange.

[@popebretticus]

Thanks Joshua! Great video as always. There's a Wesleyan church in my town and I always assumed they were continuing Methodists (the majority of the Methodist churches in Australia merged with a significant portion of the Presbyterians to form the Uniting Church ). Good to learn more about them honestly! It's cool to know there's still conservative Methodists around, especially given that the Uniting church is exceedingly liberal. Even though this channel focuses on USA denominations, it's helping me understand the spectrum of beliefs and categorise my own country's beliefs accordingly. So thanks, as always, for the work you do!

[@slamdancer777]

As a former member of a Wesleyan church, I would offer that they are closer to Church of the Nazarene than they are to Methodists.

[@jeanenviedapprendre]

@@slamdancer777 growing up in the Wesleyan Church, I felt right at home on day 1 in my current Nazarene church.

[@AndrewAddisonUniqueDrewski980]

​@@slamdancer777No they surely are not closer to the Nazarene, they are actually way different from Nazarenes. The Wesleyan Church is built on Connectionalism, while The Church of the Nazarene are built on Congregationalism. Two different movements.

[@connorlong3553]

My younger brother is studying to be a pastor in this denomination

[@allanmendez5661]

Brother Joshua great video on The Wesleyan Church. I very much enjoyed it. Great that you referenced Dr. Schenck. Great professor at IWU. While I am not a Wesleyan Pastor, I am a Nazarene Pastor I did my undergraduate degree at Indiana Wesleyan. Gave me a grate foundation for my graduate work now at my own denomination’s seminary. This is a great Church with great history in The USA.

[@slamdancer1720]

When I was Wesleyan, we were told that if no Wesleyan churches were around, go to a Nazarene church.

[@AndrewAddisonUniqueDrewski980]

​@@slamdancer1720 The Wesleyan Church is so much better though, because it's more focused on Methodist+Connectionalism.

[@Danszt]

Great video like always! The amount of research is astonishing and the neutrality is greatly appreciated. The Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection is a very interesting group too.

[@donglinzhu827]

I am very thankful for what you have done in this video. Thank you so much.

[@ReadyToHarvest]

You're very welcome!

[@bigscarysteve]

The map of congregations at 16:54 clearly shows a congregation in my town. It must be an old map, as the Wesleyan church in my town closed its doors quite a few years ago--their old building has been home to two or three other churches since. The long-time pastor of that church also owned a combination musical instrument store/Christian book store in my town for many years. I remember being in that store once with my mother back in the 1970's. We met the owner and learned that he was also a pastor. His church was actually just a couple blocks from our church. My mother asked him if he knew our pastor. "Oh yes, I certainly do!" the Wesleyan pastor exclaimed--with a tone in his voice that indicated that he definitely disapproved of our pastor!

[@mattkrumel9104]

So Good and Right On My Brothers and Sisters in Christ🔥💫❤️‍🔥

[@marcovau4902]

Thank you for this video. Methodism is still alive.

[@brendaboykin3281]

Thanx, Joshua🌹🌹🌹

[@NMI-70]

Thanks for this!

[@josipmickovic2572]

I've converted myself from a Calvinist to Wesleyan after reading this. From tonight I'm a Wesleyan Methodist ✍🏾The Wesleyan Methodist Church fell into the category of Holiness Methodist Pacifists, as it opposed war as documented in its Book of Discipline, which stated that the Gospel is in "every way opposed to the practice of War in all its forms; and those customs which tend to foster and perpetuate war spirit, [are] inconsistent with the benevolent designs of the Christian religion

[@wyattmartin7078]

Thank you, Joshua! Wonderful content!

[@ReadyToHarvest]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks Wyatt.

[@wyattmartin7078]

Btw love your polls, great idea 👍

[@vngelicath1580]

Just to be clear, we Lutherans teach that truly regenerate, saved believers can lose their salvation... the difference is, the elect (those from among the regenerate who were chosen to persevere to the end) cannot lose their salvation. The Reformed teach that regeneration and election are identical, Lutherans teach that all elect are regenerate, but not all regenerate are elect. That's the distinction. Lutherans are really more in the middle between Calvinists and Arminians.

[@brendonpremkumar8207]

You are an Evangelical Catholic? I've been interested in evangelical Catholicism for some time and would describe myself as one - what church do you go to?

[@franciskai4155]

Repent and convert to the Roman Catholic Church. Understand Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus. Don’t be misled by Luther.

[@Jordan-th3pr]

One who trusts in Christ alone cannot lose salvation but one who falls away from God and his Law and Gospel is an apostate.

[@ceciliachouinard6008]

I'm new around here I'm looking for Bible Study for my husband and me do you offer that service? Thanks! Cecilia

[@havenofear7033]

I came here to check out Asbury Revival theology.

[@somebody7270]

I’m a nondenominational Christian but I also highly respect all Christian denominations. I particularly respect evangelical Arminianism and the Episcopal church. Thanks for your videos!

[@RevDavidReyes]

I used to pastor a Wesleyan church. I'm an Assemblies of God minister. They (the Wesleyan church) called me to pastor one of their churches that had multiple pastors in the passed years. Pastors kept quitting in that church. I accepted and when I got there they basically forced me to hold open communion. I said, "You know you called me. You need my help and now you're demanding things of me." Long story short i'm back to pastoring an AG church.

[@andy2badoria928]

I hope there is a tagalog version, or someone can speak tagalog🙏🙏🙏

[@shahesfelazi8549]

The Wesleyan Church is the national church of Kingdom of Tonga!

[@ZacV679]

It is not. The Free Wesleyan in Tonga is an autonomous denomination, just like the Methodist denomination in Fiji. They do not have any Connectional to any big mother churches overseas.

[@thetraditionalist]

very interesting, i had never heard of this church

[@wyattmartin7078]

I was like “Wow! I think I agree with everything this church teaches, then it went on to talk about women in ministry. Tsk tsk… so close.

[@pelox14]

I thought the same, brother in Christ.

[@nathanbrockmann2520]

I also agree, literally every single bit of theology until female pastors. Do we know of a denomination that has all of the values except that?

[@GenericYoutubeGuy]

@@nathanbrockmann2520I wouldn’t call female pastorship a value aha

[@davewhite756]

I've noticed the Bible believing churches in this branch of denominations usually have married couples leading the congregation together. The non-biblical denominations will have a short haired ladies in colorful robes.

[@Enriki810]

Same here

[@JCResDoc94]

*so thats what theyre all about.* always wondered. they own our hospital system. -jc

[@graken14]

How does the Wesleyan church differ from the Nazarine? I know both are related to Methodist. Please and thank you

[@theajthomas]

Theologically not really at all. I'm less well versed on Nazarene governance but my understand is that the two are quite similar there as well.

[@AndrewAddisonUniqueDrewski980]

Totally different. Methodist is based on Connectionalism while Nazarene is watered down and based on Congregationalism.

[@dovygoodguy1296]

Sounds like on the whole churches identified with Wesleyan are deeper into the theological teachings and details taught by John Wesley than the generic Methodists in the strictly Methodist churches.

[@AndrewAddisonUniqueDrewski980]

Wrong The Wesleyan Church is watered down version of Methodist/United Methodist Church. Actually the Global Methodist Church was a true traditionalist movement in the UMC just until UMC started messing things up. The Wesleyan Church came directly from Global Methodist Church(former UMC) which happened to have started by The Church of England by John Wesley. If anything, The Wesleyan Church today are the fake John Wesley believers.

[@franklinshouse8719]

My dad was a United Methodist pastor. One time when I was a kid, we drove by a Wesleyan Methodist church. I asked my dad about it. He said that they were very different from the UMC and did not seem to approve of it. Now I know why.

[@hurricane_party]

What were his reasons being UMC? Same Wesleyan - Arminian theology but UMC recently went apostate with all the gay stuff at the recent convention. One would conclude that The Wesleyan Church is more faithful to Biblical Authority, no?

[@Willy-nu3oc]

So, is this church affiliated with Wesleyan Uni?

[@salyluz6535]

Which one? Indiana Wesleyan University, yes.

[@chipcole4817]

Oklahoma Wesleyan Southern Wesleyan Indiana Wesleyan And Houghton are affiliated with the Wesleyan church

[@kayjay9383]

This could have been informative and useful IF the narrator had not spoken so fast. As the speed of talk made it impossible to let the information sink into the mind deeply

[@salyluz6535]

@Kay Jay: I recommend you watch with subtitles on or check and see if you can adjust your playback speed. I have found that my brain can pick up more information while a person is speaking fast, if I have the subtitles turned on.

[@wendyleeconnelly2939]

You can slow the video speed down. Me I prefer to speed it up.

[@__seeker__]

I wonder if I’ll ever find a denomination that makes sense to me. No luck so far. I seem to be either too liberal with some things or too conservative with others.

[@Anniegeturgun]

There are non denominational churches also. What is important is that the full gospel is taught and even more important is you personally read the Bible and have a prayer life ❤

[@Aaryq]

My family went to a Wesleyan church when I was a kid. They tried to make her quit her job in order to join the church since "women should not work outside the home in a proper Christian household." We went to a Baptist church after that.

[@wendyleeconnelly2939]

Interesting as most Wesleyan denominations even conservative ones actually have women pastors

[@cympimpin20]

Most of it sounds pretty reasonable, though I'm curious how they square women have full opportunity to be ministers with First Corinthians 14:33-35.

[@ma-mo]

I always thought it was pronounced "the Church of the Nazarene."

[@chipcole4817]

Those denominations almost merged

[@allanmendez5661]

The Church of the Nazarene is a different denomination but they are sister denominations. I am a Nazarene pastor but studied at Indiana Wesleyan University. Great school.

[@ma-mo]

@@allanmendez5661 Roger that. Yeah, I was sort of kidding. I went to a Nazarene University and have attended a Nazarene church all my life (practically). I just thought it was interesting, as this video went through all the facts of the Wesleyans, I just kept thinking: "Sounds like the Church of the Nazarene!"

[@allanmendez5661]

@@chipcole4817 You are correct there were talks about merging The Wesleyan Church and The Church of the Nazarene into one denomination. However, it did not happened. Looking at it historically, I think made sense. We have different history as to why each church came to be. The Wesleyan Church in my opinion has a far better reason that it came into existence than my own church. Rightly so it has roots in The Episcopal Methodist Church. However, that denomination split between North and South because of the sin of slavery and racism. While the North indicated, it did not agree with slavery, to many within the denomination it was not enough. They wanted the Northern Church to formally condemn slavery and racism and the Northern Church wouldn’t so they left The North Church and created The Wesleyan Methodist Church who condemned slavery and racism. This is not true of The Church of the Nazarene. While The COTN “prides” itself, as been one of the “first” Churches after The Civil War to merge both Northern and Southern Churches, it was not all that it was cracked out to be. Both Dr. Bresee and Reynolds (founders of The COTN) willfully ignored Jim Crow Laws and lynching that were taking place in the south. Something The Wesleyan Church did condemned. You can read further on The Church and Lynching in the book “The Cross and the lynching tree.” By James Cone. Sad that the Church stayed quiet and did not do anything as many Blacks where murdered by many White Evangelical and many White Pastors. The COTN said nothing and willfully ignored that. Additionally, the first Black Churches within The COTN came about 50 years later after the merger in Pilot Point, TX. In a segregated District. The COTN wouldn’t allow Black pastors study in many of its schools in the south and made them go to a segregated bible school. The COTN has a sad racist history that isn’t willing to really talk about until recent years when Chet Bush published a great book called “Called to the fire. A witness for God in Mississippi: The story of Dr. Charles Johnson.” He is the pastor of The COTN in Meridian, MS. Great book within our own church that brought about a reality check that opened up conversation for healing. Yes, it has made progress. In fact, Trevecca Nazarene University formally apologized to Dr. Johnson for not allowing him to study there and bestowed on him an honorary PH.D. I think because of its difference in history it was probably best that we remain sister denominations, however, who knows in the future.

[@allanmendez5661]

@@ma-mo Cool thanks for letting us know! I hope the brother does a comparison between The COTN, The Wesleyan Church, The UMC, and The Free Methodist Church. That be great.

[@news_internationale2035]

Not to be confused with that jerk Wesley Crusher.

[@AF-tv6uf]

That Wesleyan church has 'not shutting up' as a core doctrine.

[@slamdancer777]

Lol, you aren't wrong.

[@Saratogan]

"Fall from Grace"; what are the implications? First, let's understand what happens when a man or woman gets saved. 1) You are brought from "death unto life". 2) You become a "new man" in Christ. 3) The "old man" dies. 4) You are "crucified with Christ". 5) Christ imparts to you "eternal life". 6) The Holy Spirit "indwells" you. 7) You "sealed" by God the Father & God the Holy Spirit. There are more elements to this transaction but I will stop here for brevity. Okay, now, what happens to this transaction if you are saved and then lost? BTW, "fallen from grace" only appears once in Holy Scripture in Galatians 5:4 and there the subject is not the loss of salvation but rather in regard to the heresy of elevating the bondage of the law to be equivalent to the work of Christ at Calvary. What Paul says to the Galatians is that if you think that the work of Christ must be supplemented with the works of the law, you have "fallen from grace".

[@arielview6601]

Seriously, as if God would leave our sanctification in our hands. Jesus clearly says otherwise. Just because someone is horrified by another's behavior, doesn't mean they've lost their salvation. And just because someone claims to be saved, doesn't mean they are.

[@tannerballinger9224]

@@arielview6601 Hello, I am a member of the Wesleyan Church. We certainly do not believe that God leaves sanctification entirely up to us. We need his continuous grace to lead us to entire sanctification. It is possible and perfectly normal to stumble while walking with the Lord. It does not mean that someone losses their salvation simply because they stumbled. We do believe that Salvation can be lost if someone turns away from God and denounces their faith in him.

[@arielview6601]

@@tannerballinger9224 someone who is in Christ, and not just being religious, I am convinced, would never denounce their Savior and walk away. For one thing, the Father never allows His children to be tempted above their faith. If a person is just being religious on the other hand, that person could and would walk away at the drop of a hat.

[@davidjulseth8667]

Scofield Darbyism dispensationalism doesn't resonate with me, thus it's important to repent daily instead of waiting for a tribulation period to do so, the great white throne judgement is upon us!

[@GalenCurrah]

Doctrinally sound, except for complete sanctification teaching. Far too much emphasis on clerical authority, which seems to be a kind of job security for boring preachers.

[@churchofchristquitmanarkan721]

What scripture is “John Wesley’s church” found? How about an infant baptism? Do you folks really think you’re pleasing God?

[@slamdancer1720]

Human cooperation.....thats a joke. I was once Wesleyan, been a long journey away, but I have seen far worse churches.

[@raquelnunes9793]

As an European, religious universities are such a foreign concept lol

[@sameash3153]

Do you not know your own history? All of the earliest European universities were from the monastic tradition.

[@charityfreecharity]

Does the Wesleyan Church practice inclusivity of the LGBTQ community? Are they allowed to serve in leadership positions? Does the Wesleyan church perform same sex marriages?

[@ReadyToHarvest]

8:17 gives info on some of those questions

[@charityfreecharity]

@@ReadyToHarvest Thanks for responding. I guess I missed it. I just want to be sure.,because, some churches have doctrines that they will adhere and abide by the scriptures. But, with the LGBTQ community, I notice they actually relax the standards and I've seen them playing music in worship or at the altar reading the announcements.

[@theajthomas]

The Wesleyan Church holds to historic christian stances on sexuality and marriage. Practicing LGBTQ folks cannot be members or serve in leadership or be ordained etc. The Wesleyan Church does not preform same sex marriages. Many denominations (like the United Methodists) come from the same roots as the Wesleyan Church going back to John Wesley and so just because a church has "Wesley" or even "Wesleyan" in it's name does not mean it is a part of The Wesleyan Church and many of those Methodist groups are more theologically liberal/progressive.

[@charityfreecharity]

@@theajthomas Thanks for responding. Would be nice if there were no denominations. It is not God’s desire that the church be divided.❤️

[@AndrewAddisonUniqueDrewski980]

​@@theajthomasThe Wesleyan Church is more in lined with the Global Methodist Church which recently formed 2 years ago. You can still be member's of the Wesleyan Church, you just cannot service in any leadership roles if you are a Homosexual or a Bisexual.